Abstract
Steam Rankin Stirling Cycle Engine (SRSE) has a hybrid cycle of Rankin and Stirling cycle using steam. Steam expands in power cylinders at high temperature after passing regenerators and heaters same as Stirling engines. So, it is a kind of Stirling like regenerated reciprocating steam engine. After many basic experiments on small modified atmospheric Stirling engines using compressed air instead of steam, important technical merits and difficulties of this SRSE engine were studied. Then a small double expanding SRSE was installed on an electric vehicle for generations of electricity. Through these experiments, the following good points were known for this kind of engines. (1) Power increases up to several times of atmospheric Stirling engines. (2) This engine needs no Helium gas, and has nearly no cooling system and pressurized crankcase, resulting be low cost and weight. (3) Theoretical thermal efficiency is expected to be middle of both cycles. Now, three KW double expansion SRSE are being made fit to biomass fuels.
